Sudbury Christian Messenger for October 29, 2009
29/10/09 15:31
The full text of the Sudbury Christian Messenger for
October 29, 2009
"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."
- Philippians 3:13 (KJV)
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Romans 8: 37
When life gets too hard to stand, try kneeling....
My little children, these things I write to
you, so that you may not sin. And if
anyone sins, we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
( 1 John 2:1 *NKJV )
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
__________________________
PRAYER FOR SUDBURY
PRAISE REPORTS
1. Thanks and praise to Sudbury Right to Life for their Annual Dinner/Speaker event which featured Fr. Tom Lynch of Priests for Life
PETITION REQUESTS
1. Request that you sign the Pro-Family petition to go to the United Nations
2. Request that you sign a petition to support human right of free and sincere statement of opinion
LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS
1. Kfm Sharathon
2. Request that you vote daily for Constable Joe MacDonald Fieldhouse in Aviva contest
3. Seminar on Evangelism for Immigrants Oct. 27 or 28 or 29th
4. “We are Christ Day” Queensway Pentecostal Espanola Oct. 31
5. Invitation Grace Family Church EN FRANÇAIS le 31 octobre
6. Family Coalition Party Meeting Monday, Nov. 2 Marguerite Lougheed CC
7. 29th Annual Holocaust Education Week Presentation Nov. 5
Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue
8. Sudbury Right to Life/Respect de la vie Tea Bazaar Nov. 7 Christ the King
9. 80th Anniversary Service All Peoples United Church Nov . 8
10. Annual Christmas Tea & Sale Salvation Army Sudbury Community Church Nov. 14
11. Josiah 8 Under 35 Team in Ottawa Nov. 15-21
12. The Centre for Spirituality at Work invites you to: Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence Nov. 18 - 25
13. Journey to Bethlehem Dec. 4 or 5 Mindemoya, Manitoulin Island
14. Spirituality at Work ……Finding Vocation Dec. 4 Ottawa
15. 10th Annual Respect for Life Mass North Bay Right to Life Dec. 8
16. ASCENT Concert Event December 10
17. Siege Toronto National Reformation Conference Dec. 10-12
18. Christmas Concert Church of the Epiphany Dec. 13
19. Forever National Men’s Conference Jan. 22-24 Puslinch, ON Promise Keepers
20. Institute of Marriage & Family Canada Conference March 11, 2010
21. Update on Home Word Bound …..Sudbury’s consignment Christian book store
22. Support Request for Meagan Duhamel, our region’s aspiring “pairs” champion
23. Rooms to Rent
24. Employment Opportunity – Christian Horizons
25. Check out DeoWeb for information from the Catholic Church in mid-northern Ontario
26. Check out 4MYC (For My Canada) for all the latest on hot button issues
27. Elgin Street Mission seeking volunteers
28. Door-to-Door Ministers
29. Walden Word of Life a great resource for Christian books and gifts
30. Christian Videographer - Sudbury’s own Dan Thomson
31. Mom’s Moments e newsletter available online
32. Help us keep the Church Directory and Sudbury Christian Messenger database up-to-date
For more events that might interest Christians, please go to www.cjtk.com <</span>http://www.cjtk.com/>
PROVINCIAL
1. Pro-Life Prayer Letter for October
NATIONAL
1. Canada province to take polgamy law to court
2. Canadian Court Dismisses Graduate Student's Religious Discrimination Claim
3. Transgendered teacher, Catholic school in a legal duel
INTERNATIONAL
1. Report on the World Congress of Families held in the Netherlands
2. United Kingdom: Religious Liberty Fading Fast
3. Council scraps Christian prayer tradition as it might offend other faiths
4. Battle 2009 of the Christmas Culture War has begun in the USA
FILM REVIEW
1. Faith Like Potatoes
MEDIA MARVELS
1. First Catholic tv station on the internet
2. Environmental Working Group website for personal and home safety from chemicals
3. Movie reviews ………check before viewing
4. Coming to Terms ………language choices influence our thinking
CITIZEN RESPONSE
1. Response from London Public Library re: pornography on library computers
WORDS OF WISDOM
1. Look
2. Eat a frog
3. We Shall Be Like Jesus
4. Christian One-Liners
5. Harley Rider
6. Health tips re: H1N1
7. Hard sayings
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READERS’ COMMENTS
1. Nancy Bartz responds to message on mercy killing
FUNDRAISING REQUEST
1. Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
Prayer for Sudbury
___ Prayer of faith for Sudbury and region:
We declare that you, God, take the wind out of Babel’s pretence; you shoot down the world’s power schemes. We thank you God that your plans stand up so that your will be done and your kingdom come in the city of Sudbury and region.
We confess that there is in our city and region desperation and hopelessness.
We chose to humble ourselves and confess the sin of pride and arrogance in the use of human methods for fixing problems and not turning to you God.
Save us, vindicate us by your strength. Please release your warring angels to defeat the godless who oppose the purposes of your kingdom.
We ask you to lead us in victory against obstacles which stand against your will being done.
We thank you for being jealous over your prophecy that the north would be blessed and would fund your mighty revival.
We decree your covenant promise for this city and region such as in Isaiah 61; that you consol those who mourn, give beauty for ashes, joy for morning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair and that we will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of your glory.
a city prayer group.
Praise Reports
Praise and Thanks to Sudbury Right to Life for their Annual Dinner/Speaker event which featured Fr. Tom Lynch of Priests for Life
What a blessing to listen to a dedicated priest like Fr. Tom Lynch, who is so passionate about saving lives through the pro-life movement.
He mentioned that there are “shadows and lights” in the pro-life struggle.
Shadows include the fact that abortion is entrenched in Canada, that it is considered unpopular or impolite to talk about abortion here, that the avenues to public discourse are closed by our Canadian media who will not report on pro-life issues or events. Fr. Lynch also mentioned the complexities of questions nowadays, which confuse people and prevent them from seeing the truth of The Way of Jesus. Other shadows are the reality that the activists of the pro-life movement are aging, and in the younger generations, there is a phobia about commitment.
On the other hand, there are lights. One of them is technology; since fewer people are now reading newspapers or listening to tv news, new technologies and social media can allow the pro-life movement to do an end run around the traditional media, and get the truth out in new ways. For this reason, a website with video content is ideal, and he suggested sponsoring a two minute video contest. Another light in the modern pro-life movement is that geography means nothing with technology ……….conference calls and meetings can easily be held with people from across Canada, for just a few dollars. Fr. Lynch praised the youth who are involved in the pro-life movement, such as those in the National Campus Life Network. Campus pro-life events lead to controversy, but controversy works against indifference. In this era of communications, we can design and aim our message for target groups.
Fr. Lynch warned of diabolical intervention in our society …………that we are too busy to do the good.
He also urged the pro-life activists to support the Pregnancy Care Centers, and our natural allies. “Don’t let the best be the enemy of the good.”
A current focus in the pro-life movement right now is mercy killing. Since everyone is touched by death, people worry about how death will come. Baby boomers are notorious for wanting to control everything; because many of us live as “practical atheists”, we will see a rising tide of those who want to control death by mercy killing. Fr. Lynch has been to Holland regularly to examine the way mercy killing is working there. After twenty-five years of mercy killing in Holland, disabled children are being taken away from parents to be killed, people who are depressed are being killed, elderly parents and spouses are being killed. Currently, thirty percent of those who are euthanized are killed without requesting it.
In Quebec, where doctors have lost their Christian faith, seventy-five percent of doctors believe in mercy killing.
Ontario and Quebec are in the forefront of provinces using embryos for stem cell research.
How do we move forward?
Fr. Lynch recommends a “rainbow coalition”, whereby we focus on areas on which we can agree with activists; for example, with what aspects of feminism do I agree?
I was thrilled to hear that Fr. Tom Lynch met with twelve Sudbury priests while visiting here. He said that priests are “busy, worn-down people”; thus, Priests for Life seeks to help and empower priests, pastors, ministers to support the pro-life movement.
It’s important to try to win “one soul after another”. It’s not a single battle that we are fighting, but a battle for one soul at a time.
In the forty years of the pro-life movement since the Canadian Parliament adopted Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s Omnibus Bill that removed restrictions on abortion, “untold people have been saved by the pro-life movement.” Those lives are what motivate Fr. Tom to continue.
His final exhortation ………”we need to stand publicly for the truth”. The victory is not ours ….it is the Lord’s. Be true to God, to ourselves, and the truth.
Diane Ikonen
Petition
Support The Family!
Sign the Pro-Life Pro-Family Petition Today!!!
December 10th marks the day that radical anti-family groups will present pro-abortion petitions to the UN General Assembly asking them to make abortion a universally recognized human right.
United Families unites with other international pro-family organizations in challenging our adversaries in this important battle. Here is where you can help.
The Universal Right to Life and Recognition of the Family as the Fundamental Unit of Society petition calls for governments around the world to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting the unborn child from abortion and preserving the family.
We will present our petitions on December 10th, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, at a press conference at UN headquarters.
Our hope is to jointly turn in over 1,000,000 signatures.
For this to happen, we need your help today.
If you have not signed the petition, SIGN NOW AT
http://unitedfamilies.org/default.asp?contentID=213
The Universal Right to Life and Recognition of the Family as the Fundamental Unit of Society
We, the undersigned citizens of the member nations of the world recognize the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its 60th anniversary adopted and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) on 10 December 1948. We respectfully request that all member nations and states interpret this document to mean that:
The right to life, liberty and security is for every person; that each child born or unborn, has the right to birth and a full, natural life. That a child has the right to a mother and a father, of full age, within the bonds of marriage defined as between a man and a woman. And, that the parents have the right to raise and educate their children without any limitation due to race, religion, culture or nationality.
And, that the United Nations General Assembly will promote this interpretation so that the rights of a human being are truly respected as declared in the Preamble of the Declaration,
• We reaffirm “the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”, (Preamble)
• We reaffirm “the fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women…” (Preamble)
• We reaffirm, “a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge”, (Preamble)
And, reaffirmed by the following Articles,
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 16
1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.
2. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
3. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
4. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 25
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
Article 26
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
For information about why this petition is important, please go to:
http://unitedfamilies.org/default.asp?contentID=223
Request
Joseph C. Ben-Ami
Reflections of an unrepentant conservative
October 15, 2009
As you know, freedom of speech is an essential characteristic of a free society. In Canada, however, this freedom has been under attack in recent years under the pretext of protecting and promoting human rights. Laws that prohibit the free expression of opinion undermine the very foundations of a free and tolerant society and are, therefore, illegitimate and must be abolished.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Studies has just launched an online petition calling on lawmakers at all levels of government in Canada examine legislation within their jurisdiction intended to protect and promote human rights, and to remove those provisions that prohibit or otherwise limit the free and sincere expression of opinion.
Please take a minute to sign this petition yourself and email it to your friends and family for their signature as well. You can do so now by cutting and pasting the url into your browser. You can also post the link to social networking sites like Face book or in any forum you regularly visit.
Let's see how many signatures we can gather on this important issue.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/defend-freedom-of-speech-in-canada.html
________________________________________
Local News & Events
1. Kfm Christian Radio Fall Sharathon Thursday, October 29
Are you a fan of Christian Radio?
Kfm, formerly CJTK, has grown from a Christian radio station in Sudbury, to Kfm with stations in Sudbury, North Bay, and Elliot Lake.
Twice a year, in Fall and Spring, Kfm puts on a Sharathon, whereby listeners can donate money to pay for the costs of the Christian radio station over the year.
Please tune in at 95.5 fm to hear the incredible and inspiring stories of how Christian radio has inspired so many people.
Note from The K: we need your prayerful and financial support more than ever.
Please drop by our studios in Elliot Lake, Sudbury or North Bay - and let us know that you want to see Christian Radio stay on the air.
P.S. This request is serious - we really need your help!
Thanks in advance... and please be praying for CJTK!
http://www.kfmradio.ca
Thanks and many blessings,
the CJTK Team
2. Request that you vote daily for Constable Joe MacDonald Fieldhouse in Aviva contest
The Fieldhouse idea is very close to the top 20 qualifies across Canada for the first round of competition. We have only 4 days left to ramp it up!!!
This competition is to win funds to construct a new clubhouse for the James Jerome Complex in Sudbury. It is very important to the football, soccer and athletic community, children and adults alike who enjoy the benefits of this facility. Not only will this complex be a part of the 2010 Summer Games venue, but is undergoing significant upgrading by the City. A new clubhouse would be a welcome addition for the many kids who use it now.
Please continue to encourage all your contacts to vote daily.
http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf1360
Best regards,
Diane Suski CRM, CIP, CAIB
Executive Vice President
Nexus Canada Inc.
2141 Lasalle Blvd. Bldg. A.
Sudbury, Ontario P3A 2A3
Phone: 705-525-4819
Toll Free: 888-895-5557 (Clients Only)
Fax: 705-525-4673
Website: www.nexuscanada.ca
3. Seminar on Evangelism for Immigrants Oct. 27 or 28 or 29th
I hope that this might interest you and people from your church: Immigration is changing the face of Canada. With this growing sociological shift come unprecedented opportunities for congregations to intentionally reach new people with the gospel. The churches that are learning new skills to embrace the nations coming to our doorstep are growing.
Please join us for our new practical, interactive and insightful Intercultural Symposiums for Pastors and lay leaders to be held from 8.00 am till 11.30 am (a light breakfast is included) on these dates and locations this October:
October 29 – Ottawa, ON
Bethel Pentecostal Church
500 Viewmount Drive
Nepean, ON K2E 7P2
• Presenters: Dr Sam Owusu, professor at TWU and Pastor of Calvary church in New Westminster BC, Dr Andrew Lau, a Regent grad and Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Toronto and David Macfarlane of the BGEAC.
• Times: 8.00am till 11.30 am (includes a light breakfast)
• Topic: “Transitioning a church to become effectively intercultural”.
• Cost: Only $25 or $20 for groups of 3 or more from the same church that register at least a week in advance
• For Information or to register: Call 1 800 293 3717 or visit : Intercultural Symposiums 09
Hope that you have had a wonderful and relaxing summer with your family and friends. To see what is happening in our family and ministry these days go to David Macfarlane Blog 09
Wishing you every blessing in your personal life and ministry,
David Macfarlane
Director of National Initiatives
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Phone: 1-800-293-3717
Cell: 1-519-503-8380
www.billygraham.ca <</span>http://www.billygraham.ca>
4. “We are Christ Day” Queensway Pentecostal Espanola Oct. 31
"We Are Christ Day" October 31st - a day that Christians converge on Espanola to reach out to the community of Espanola.
The activities of Oct. 31st at QPC include: - inflatables for kids, big screen video games, popcorn, cotton candy, treat bags
- chili meal served from 4-6pm
- evening concert with local opening act followed by 401 Band from Montreal
- service projects for families in need
- carnival type games
- prayer ministry will be available
Saturday, October 24th from 9-4 pm, volunteers will be packing, available for pick-up, or delivering 200 laundry baskets to families in need. The baskets will be filled with a rig of food and products purchased by QPC from Faith Charities of Ontario for $2500, which is a great deal!
Lisa D. Long of Queensway Pentecostal in Espanola can be reached at 869-1700 or qpc@personainternet.com .
You can learn more about the "We Are Christ Day" events at www.womensconnection.ca <</span>http://www.womensconnection.ca>
5. Invitation Grace Family Church EN FRANÇAIS le 31 octobre
VOUS ÊTES INVITÉS
à GRACE FAMILY CHURCH EN FRANÇAIS
au 468 rue Antwerp, Sudbury
Tél. 673-1512
les dimanches à 19h00
6.Family Coalition Party Meeting Monday, Nov. 2
The Family Coalition Party, Ontario’s only Pro-Life, Pro-Family Party, is scheduling a meeting Monday, November 2, at 7:00 pm
Location: Marguerite Lougheed Community Centre (formerly St. Clement’s Church) located at the corner of Regent and Albert Streets in Sudbury (near Queen’s Athletic Field)
Everyone from Sudbury and Nickel Belt Ridings is welcome
If you wish to learn more details about the FCP, you are invited
Parking on Albert Street …..please do not obstruct the bus stop.
Use the Regent Street entrance (adjacent to the garage doors)
No beverages, please.
www.FamilyCoalitionParty.com <</span>http://www.FamilyCoalitionParty.com> 1-888-613 2645
7. 29th Annual Holocaust Education Week Presentation Nov. 5
The congregation of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue invites you to the
29th annual HOLOCAUST EDUCATION WEEK presentation
Our speaker is Max Eisen, (known to many of you).
He has a different presentation this year, which includes a film which parallels his escape from Hungary
Time and Date: Thursday, November 5nd, 2009, at 7pm
Location: Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue
158 John Street
For further information:
tel:: 705-566-1214
email: wit.field@persona.ca
8. Sudbury Right to Life/Respect de la vie Tea Bazaar Nov. 7
Christ the King Parish Hall
12:15-3:00 pm
Lst Prize … $200.00
2nd Prize …Floor Lamp LED $140.00 value
3rd prize ….$50.00
Tickets/billets $1.00 each or 3 for $2/book
9.Anniversary Service 80 Years All Peoples United Church Nov . 8
All Peoples United Church invites everyone to our 80th Anniversary service on November 8, 2009 at 10 am
• Guest Speaker – Dr. Ted Conroy, Chancellor, Huntington University
• Guest Choir from Cambrian College
• Complementary Luncheon
• 80th Anniversary Plaque Dedication
All Peoples is located at 400 Antwerp St. (corner of Antwerp and Jean) in the Donovan area of Sudbury. Tel: 675-8670
10. Annual Christmas Tea & Sale Salvation Army Sudbury Community Church Nov. 14
salvation army sudbury community church at 107 Lorne Street
- the annual Christmas Tea & Sale
- November 14th from 11am to 2pm
thank you, blessings – sterling Sterling Snelgrove [Sterling_Snelgrove@can.salvationarmy.org]
11.Josiah 8 Team of Under 35s in Ottawa Nov. 15-21
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WANT TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON CANADA THIS FALL?
COME TO PARLIAMENT WITH OUR 8TH JOSIAH TEAM - APPLICATIONS DUE THIS WEEKEND
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Email admin@4mycanada.ca for an application.
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Are you passionate about seeing Canada strong for generations to come? Want to be trained on influencing government leaders and praying effectively for Canada, and then actually do it?
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If so, we have good news for you! Our 8th Josiah team is heading to Parliament this Nov. 15th - 21st (pending on a possible election)! Application deadline is the end of this weekend, so apply today!
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JOSIAH 8: This team of 20 young people, from across Canada, will be coming to Ottawa for a week to meet with over 40 Parliamentarians to honour them and share their hearts with them on the issues that they are passionate about. We will also hold our annual reception to honour our goverment during this week. These weeks are always amazing, and often historic. There is nothing like being a part of a Josiah team, really. It will change you, and this nation, at the same time.
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APPLY NOW: We are currently taking applications for the Josiah team and aim to have the team selected by Oct. so that we can begin training. If you (or someone you know) is under 35, holds fast to socially conservative values, and have people who can vouch for your character and maturity, then we encourage you to consider applying.
• Click here for more information on accomodations, costs, etc.
• Click here for a report from last November's Josiah team.
• Click here for pictures from previous Josiah teams.
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To request an application, contact us at admin@4mycanada.ca.
12.The Centre for Spirituality at Work invites you to: Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence with the Rev. Dr. Tim Elliott
3 Wednesdays, Nov 18, 25, Dec 2, 2009
6:45 – 9:30 pm
At the Toronto Grace, near Yonge & Bloor, Toronto
Earlybird fee: Wed Nov 11, 2009
Most people spend more time and energy planning a vacation than they do considering their vocation. To find your vocation for this stage of your life's journey and move forward with confidence, both clarity and courage are necessary. Especially in challenging times. This program gives you that important time for personal self-reflection, sharing with a partner, and group discussion, all within the context of the discernment model, Clarity and Courage. Come with your musings about your career restlessness, your retirement, your job loss, or other major life changes. You may be led to a new role in your organization, a renewed perspective on your profession, a reason to stay in or to leave your current position, an integrated view of volunteer and paid work, a more productive direction for your job search or retirement plans, or something entirely different. Leave with a readiness for change or action, be it internal or external. And enjoy the live piano music that will help us on the journey.
Tim Elliott, DMin, (www.TimElliott.ca) is a vocational consultant, speaker, and Anglican priest whose doctoral work focused on helping people find their vocation. Through his own company Elliott Resource Services and Forrest & Company where he is a Director of Coaching & Facilitation, Tim offers individual coaching programs to help executives, lawyers, clergy, and other professionals with life and work transitions. At Christ Church Deer Park he co-founded Jazz Vespers, and he regularly speaks across Canada about spirituality, jazz, creativity, vocation, and more. Tim performs often as a solo pianist or with his quartet. He is the author of Clarity and Courage: Life as an Improvised Journey, and has released two solo piano CDs: All the Things You Are (jazz standards) and New Every Morning (favourite hymns), all available for sale at the program. Reach Tim at Tim@TimElliott.ca.
REGISTRATION: Program fee of $130 received by Wed Nov 11 or $145 following ($105 or $120 for Blue Card holders from our partner, the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto). Also payable at the same time is $20 non-refundable materials fee. For cancellations, a $25 admin fee is withheld if notification is received by the earlybird date, or you may substitute another person for no additional fee up until the program begins. To register, mail a cheque payable to: Centre for Spirituality at Work, Box 100, 236 Guildwood Parkway, Toronto M1E 1P7. Or register and pay for this program securely and confidentially by credit card through PayPal at www.SpiritualityAtWork.org . If times are a little tough financially right now and you’d like to attend, before the Earlybird date please pre-register confidentially through sherry@spiritualityatwork.org and suggest an arrangement that works for you (eg post-dated cheques).
LOCATION: In the 2nd floor chapel of our partner, the Toronto Grace Hospital workplace, 650 Church St. at the S/W corner of Bloor St. Just a few minutes walk from the Yonge-Bloor TTC station. Metered parking is on Church and Hayden Streets, and a paid lot at the Grace. Use the main northwest entrance. www.TorontoGrace.org
Bring your brochures & flyers for the networking table.
All the best,
Sherry
Sherry Mikelic (formerly Connolly), MBA, MDiv
Founding Director
Centre for Spirituality at Work
Connecting who you are and the work you do ....
www.SpiritualityAtWork.org
13.Journey to Bethlehem Dec. 4 or 5 Mindemoya, Manitoulin Island
Bring a car load, bring a bus load, or bring a donkey and cart load
Mindemoya, Manitoulin Island
on
Friday, Dec. 4th from 6:30p.m. – 9:30p.m.
and
Saturday, Dec. 5th from 5:30p.m. – 9:30p.m.
This year the Journey begins from Our Lady of Canada Catholic Church.
Parking will be available at the Mindemoya Missionary Church.
(follow signs)
Buses for transportation will be available from the parking lot
to the Journey and back to the parking lot.
Following the Journey refreshments will be served at the
Mindemoya Missionary Church.
-------
Saturday ‘home cooked’ Supper available at the
Mindemoya United Church
(full course menu)
3:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
Adults - $12. Children - $6 Family - $35
Children under 6 free
NOTE: Anyone bringing a bus load please phone
Mary-Jo – 377-6655 or Marguerite - 377-4076
to make arrangements.
14.Spirituality at Work …Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence Dec. 4 Ottawa
Please forward to others who may be interested .....
The Centre for Spirituality at Work and the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa invite you to:
FINDING VOCATION: CLARITY + COURAGE = CONFIDENCE
with Dr. Timothy Elliott
Friday, December 4, 2009
9 am – 3:30 pm
At Cathedral Hall, 420 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Earlybird fee: Friday November 27, 2009
Most people spend more time and energy planning a vacation than they do considering their vocation. To find your vocation for this stage of your life's journey and move forward with confidence, both clarity and courage are necessary. Especially in challenging times. This program gives you that important time for personal self-reflection, sharing with a partner, and group discussion, all within the context of the discernment model, Clarity and Courage. Come with your musings about your career restlessness, your retirement, your job loss, or other major life changes. You may be led to a new role in your organization, a renewed perspective on your profession, a reason to stay in or to leave your current position, an integrated view of volunteer and paid work, a more productive direction for your job search or retirement plans, or something entirely different. Leave with a readiness for change or action, be it internal or external. And enjoy the live piano music that will help us on the journey.
Tim Elliott, DMin, (www.TimElliott.ca <</span>http://www.TimElliott.ca> ) is an executive consultant whose doctoral work focused on helping people find their vocation. Through his company Elliott Resource Services, Tim offers individual coaching programs to help with life and work transitions. He feels that his mission in life is to encourage purposeful and responsible living for both individuals and organizations. His resource services are used by professionals in various fields, including executives, lawyers, and clergy. He is the author of Clarity and Courage: Life as an Improvised Journey, and has released two solo piano CDs: All the Things You Are (jazz standards) and New Every Morning (favourite hymns), all available for sale at the program. Tim is a former congregational Anglican priest who started popular Jazz Vespers services at Christ Church Deer Park in Toronto. He is now an honourary assistant priest, regularly preaches at jazz services across Canada,and performs often both as a solo pianist and with his quartet. Reach Tim at Tim@TimElliott.ca .
REGISTRATION: Program fee of $100 received by Friday November 27 or $115 following. Also payable at the same time is $20 non-refundable materials fee. A light lunch is included. For cancellations, a $25 admin fee is withheld if notification is received by the earlybird date, or you may substitute another person for no additional fee up until the program begins. To register, mail a cheque payable to: Centre for Spirituality at Work, Box 100, 236 Guildwood Parkway, Toronto M1E 1P7. Or register and pay for this program securely and confidentially by credit card through PayPal at www.SpiritualityAtWork.org <</span>http://www.SpiritualityAtWork.org> . If times are a little tough financially right now and you’d like to attend, before the Earlybird date please pre-register confidentially through Sherry@SpiritualityAtWork.org and suggest an arrangement that works for you (eg post-dated cheques)
LOCATION: Christ Church Cathedral Hall, 420 Sparks Street, Ottawa -- east of Bronson Avenue near Bay Street. ( www.Ottawa.Anglican.ca/Cathedral <</span>http://www.Ottawa.Anglican.ca/Cathedral> ) The closest parking lot is just east at Queen & Bay Streets, behind St. Peter's Lutheran Church.
Bring your brochures & flyers for the networking table.
Many thanks to our co-sponsor, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa (www.Ottawa.Anglican.ca <</span>http://www.Ottawa.Anglican.ca> )
Following are the upcoming Centre for Spirituality at Work programs in Toronto -- please pencil into your calendar those that interest you and forward this e-mail to others who may like to know about them.
Tools & Tips: Empowering Yourself for Career & Personal Success, Kimberley Cochrane CEC, Thurs Oct 15, 7:30 to 9:30pm.
The Enneagram: Fundamentals at Work, Helen Peacock MSc, Fri & Sat Oct 23 & 24, 6:45 to 9:45pm & 10am to 4:30pm.
Language at Work: Speaking of Religion & Spirituality, Rob Barlow LL.B, Tues Nov 10, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
SoulSpa: Seasons in LIfe and Work, the Rev. Dr. Anne Simmonds, RN, Sat Nov 14, 10 to 4:30 pm.
Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence, the Rev. Dr. Tim Elliott, Wed. Nov 18, 25, & Dec 2, 6:45 to 9:30 pm.
Value Shift: From Making a Living to Making a Difference, Gita Badiyan MEd, Mon Nov 30, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
The Passion Test, Suzanne Sherkin, Wed Jan 20, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Work Like You Don't Need the Money! the Rev Dr. Carol Kilby, Fri & Sat Jan 29 & 30, 6:45 to 9:45pm & 10am to 4:30pm
Connecting with "Difficult" People, Bhupinder Gill MSc, RN, Tues Feb 23, 6:30 to 9:30pm.
Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence, the Rev. Dr. Tim Elliott, Sat Feb 27, 10am to 4:30 pm
Marketing & Communicating with Spirit, Eric Hellman, Thurs Mar 25, 4pm to 9:30 pm.
Inspire: Energizing & Encouraging, Linda Ferguson, PhD, Mon Mar 29, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Introduction to Constructive Communication, Kathleen Conway MA, Sat Apr 17, 10am to 4:30 pm.
Hold On AND Let Go: Thriving in Uncertain Times at Work, Anne Carbert LL.B, MEd, Tues Apr 20, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Making a Career Move: From Ideas to Action, Anne Carbert LL.B, MEd, May 4, 11 & 18, 6:45 to 9:45 pm
Breaking out of the Someday Syndrome: Stop Waiting and Start Living!, Kimberley Cochrane CEC, Wed May 12, 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Finding Vocation: Clarity + Courage = Confidence, the Rev. Dr. Tim Elliott, Tues June 1, 8, & 15, 6:45 to 9:30 pm.
I'm looking forward to all these programs, and hope you can make it to all the ones that attract you.
All the best,
Sherry
Sherry Mikelic (formerly Connolly), MBA, MDiv
Founding Director
Centre for Spirituality at Work
Connecting who you are and the work you do ....
www.SpiritualityAtWork.org <</span>http://www.SpiritualityAtWork.org>
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15.10th Annual Respect for Life Mass North Bay Right to Life Dec. 8
Time: 7 pm
Location: Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption
Come and join us celebrate life with Bishop Plouffe
Reception to follow in basement
*To see videography of National March for Life 2009 which happened in Ottawa and features an interview with Bishop Plouffe who was in attendance, please go to www.sudburychristian.ca <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca> . Many thanks to our webmaster and videographer, Dan Thomson, of Image Video, for this.
IMAGE VIDEO SERVICES & PRODUCTIONS - Your Number One Source for Multi-Media
1210 Southview Dr.
Sudbury Ontario P3E 2L6 Canada
(705) 698-1212 –cell . (705) 523-1066 -home . (705) 523-5861 -fax
www.imagevideo.ca <</span>http://www.imagevideo.ca>
16.ASCENT Concert December 10
upcoming event
Ascent - Thursday Dec. 10th,
Fraser Auditorium, 7pm
An inter-church, youth/young adult focused worship event. Encouraging those attending to reach up to God and reach out to those in need. Each event will feature high-end music, integrated media, and will look to support a local non-profit.
17.Siege Toronto National Reformation Conference Dec. 10 - 12
VISION & INVITATION:
You are invited to join with Canadians from sea to sea this December for the next National Siege Conference: Siege Toronto.
The purpose of the Siege Toronto Conference is to bring together some of Canadaís leading voices, who are impacting our nation on a variety of social frontiers, with the purpose of equipping and inspiring you to do the same! Each speaker is an expert in their respective spheres with deep wisdom, revelation and insight. Along with this, several of the speakers and worship leaders are also well known revivalists in Canada and beyond. The Siege Toronto National Conference is not only going to be a time of equipping in information but of tangible impartation and empowerment in the Holy Spirit!
.
Practical equipping + empowerment from God = potential to change the world forever.
Donít miss it. A conference like this is designed to empower you and propel you toward your mandate in the earth, for the glory of God.
INFORMATION:
There will be workshops in the day time for registrants.
Evening and Saturday day time sessions will be open and free.
Plenary and workshop speakers: Dr. Pat Francis, Joy Smith MP, Rod Bruinooge MP, Faytene Kryskow, the Honourable Stockwell Day (pending), Heather Clark, Laura Woodley Osman, Afshin Javid, Derek Schneider, and others
The conference will conclude with a special Banquet of Honour to celebrate the last 4 years of work on Parliament Hill with MY Canada and work cross the nation with TheCRY. Keynote address planned to be brought by the Hon. Stockwell Day (Minister of Foreign Trade).
For information on speakers, registration etc., please go to:
http://www.siegecanada.ca/SiegeToronto/Speakers.html
18.Christmas Concert Church of the Epiphany Dec. 13
Sunday, December 13...4 p.m. concert Church of the Epiphany
19. Forever National Men’s Conference Promise Keepers
Puslinch, ON
January 22 - 24, 2010
Module 1 “Godly Manhood”
London, ON
March 5 & 6, 2010
Ottawa, ON
March 19 & 20, 2010
For further information, please go to: http://www.promisekeepers.ca/content/eventdetail?id=5011
20.Institute of Marriage and Family Canada Conference March 11, 2010
Save the date! March 11, 2010 is the IMFC Family Policy Conference. Check http://www.imfcanada.org for more information and registration daveq@imfcanada.org www.imfcanada.org <</span>http://www.imfcanada.org> www.FamilyIndex.net <</span>http://www.FamilyIndex.net> Phone 613-565-3832 Toll Free 1-866-373-4632 Fax 613-565-3803
21.Update on Home Word Bound …….Sudbury’s consignment store for Christian books
Just an update on what has been happening with Home Word Bound. The City of Sudbury has served me notice that I must cease selling books from my home. That is not to say that I am closing Home Word Bound. No. Not in the least. I am simply diverting services now. I am now presenting and delivering great Christian literature to people where they are! Anyone including individuals, small and large groups, events coordinators....may contact me to consign books, set up a book party or book table or simply to inquire about titles and authors.
Following is a small blog about me again but in the new context...I would like to request it to be forwarded to all churches in the district if possible.
My name is Desiree Walker and I belong to Glad Tidings Tabernacle, one of the largest Pentecostal Assemblies Of Canada in the North. I recently opened a small new and consigned Christian book business presenting and delivering good Christian literature to individuals, small and large groups, events and so on. I carry all types of Christian books including reformed, contemporary, bibles, children’s, women's, men's, prayer, devotional, fiction, mission, non-fiction..... AND *I also carry consigned choir music books and CD's*, making trying out new music - no matter the type
- very affordable for choir groups! I am excited about this part because no other such service is available elsewhere. Many of these musicals have been tried and tested successfully...and may work well for others too!! I may be reached at 705-675-2040 and am located at 206 Boland Ave, Sudbury Ontario. All interested may call to consign books, set up a book party or book table or simply to inquire about titles and authors. Thank you for your time and kind interest.
Regards,
Desiree Walker
HOME WORD BOUND
New and Consigned
Christian Litterature
705-675-2040
22.Support Request for Meagan Duhamel, our region’s aspiring “pairs” champion
My daughter, Meagan will be featured on the "Aspiring Olympian" General Mills cereal(some
Grocery stores have them out already on the multi-grain cheerios) If you can please purchase a box or few and follow the instructions and vote for her, she will then get $1 or $5 per vote depending on the box of cereal. Thank you and Meagan would really appreciate the support!
Please extend this information onto your family and friends as well.
Heidi Duhamel
705-671-1000 ext 8131
Editor’s Note: I didn’t care to purchase this cereal, so contacted Meagan’s mother, Heidi Duhamel. A cheque can be sent to Meagan at her family’s address: Box 1540, Lively, ON P3Y1N2 If you want further information, please contact Meagan’s Mom at 705-671-1000 ext 8131
May God bless our special Sudbury Olympian!!!!!!!!!
23. Rooms to Rent
Rooms for rent:
Saint James House (1815 Paris Street) has two rooms for rent. The living room, kitchen and bathroom are shared. First and last required. $500/month (not including heat and hydo). Call John at 929-6562.
Thanks Diane,
John Harvey
________________________________________
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:53:07 -0400
From: ikonen@cyberbeach.net
Subject: Rooms for rent in Sudbury-New Sudbury
Room(s) for rent in a house for preferably Christian males:
$400 a month, includes heat, hydro, phone, internet. First and last required, available immediately. Located at the corner of LaSalle and Notre Dame. Please call 585-2238 (Jeff) if interested.
24.Employment Opportunity – Christian Horizons
Employment opportunity: Looking for employment with meaning? Christian Horizons, a trans-denominational evangelical Christian organization that provides a variety of support & services for persons with developmental disabilities, is currently seeking relief/casual staff to work within our residential homes in Sudbury.
For more information please contact Karen Festing (Recruitment Manager) at Christian Horizons North District Office (705) 789-1725 x3.
25. Check out DeoWeb ….portal to the Catholic Church in mid-northern Ontario
Empowering everyone to communicate online
http://www.diocesessm.org/DiowebDocument.2008-12-09.5251994304/en?cl=en
26.Check out 4MYC (For My Canada) for all the latest on hot button issues
http://www.4mycanada.ca/
27. Elgin Street Mission is seeking Volunteers
Elgin Street Mission is in need of volunteers during the following times:
Monday - Friday from 7am - 5pm
Saturday - 5pm - 9pm
Sundays 11am - 9pm
Volunteers are asked to work the hours they are available and not expected
to fill an entire shift. If you are a available a couple hours a day or day
a week. We are flexible!
Volunteers will be expected to assist in the kitchen area helping the
daytime facilitator serve breakfast and/or helping the cook later on in the
day prepare that evening's supper.
Please contact the volunteer coordinator Eva Lachapelle at 673-2163. We look
forward to having you become part of the team!
28. "Door to Door Ministers"
Reverend Michael & Karen Marcotte are excited to offer "Door to Door Ministers" - meeting you where you're at.
What do we do? We officiate wedding ceremonies,
offer Marriage Preparation Sessions and Marriage Follow-up Sessions -
because "Marriage Matters!"
Michael provides Itinerant Pastoring Services to Churches, and conducts
Funeral Services.
Let us know If we can be of service to you,
E-mail:
doortodoorministers@persona.ca
Phone: 705-919-8138.
***Editor’s Note: Karen Marcotte initiated and manages the Church Directory at www.sudburychristian.ca <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca>
29. Local Christian Book Seller a Great Resource
Gloria Monkhouse at Walden Word of Life on Fielding Road has a passionate heart for Christian Bibles, books and audio-visual materials for all ages.
Gloria will set up her portable book store at your church or event, upon request.
If you’re seeking a book on a topic or a book for Bible Study, Gloria can assist you greatly.
Give her a call at 705 682 0441 – you’ll find her to be full of wisdom and help
30.Christian Videographer – Sudbury’s Dan Thomson
Our very own Dan Thomson, who created our website www.sudburychristian.ca <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca> and does the videography that is on it, has his own business.
Please consider Dan Thomson for your videography needs, and much more.
IMAGE VIDEO SERVICES & PRODUCTIONS - Your Number One Source for Multi-Media
1210 Southview Dr.
Sudbury Ontario P3E 2L6 Canada
(705) 698-1212 –cell . (705) 523-1066 -home . (705) 523-5861 -fax
www.imagevideo.ca <</span>http://www.imagevideo.ca>
31. Help us update Church List on ACES site and Sudbury Christian Messenger Database
If you haven’t already checked out the ACES (Active Christians Engaging Society) website, www.sudburychristian.ca <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca/> <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca/> <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca/> <</span>http://www.sudburychristian.ca/> , why not do it now. Once on the website, please click on 'CHURCH DIRECTORY'. This will bring you to the list of churches we are assembling, and need your help to maintain, for the Sudbury area, along with contact information for each church. If corrections or additions are needed for your church, click on 'CONTACT US', type in the changes and press send. This website is for the benefit of everyone, so please help us maintain it by sending us corrections whenever necessary. Thank you!
As well, in order to keep reaching you, when you change your e mail address, please let the Sudbury Christian Messenger Editor, Diane Ikonen, know your new address, so that our database can be maintained, and you can continue to be an important link in our Sudbury Christian network chain.
For more events that might interest Christians, please go to www.cjtk.com <</span>http://www.cjtk.com/> ________________________________
Provincial News
1. Pro-Life Prayer Letter for October
Dear Prayer Partners,
This time of year always finds our office humming. Our AGM is this week! Financial Statements have to be drawn up, items collected for the silent auction, food planned, hall decorated, tickets printed and sold, and on and on. No one plans for the bumps in the road that just happen. Out of the last month I have been on the road several times heading up north to help with my ailing father whom passed away last Saturday. Life happens and so does death. God decides when we are to be born and when we are to die. Our job is to comfort and care for those who are suffering—mixed in with all the other things we have to do.
I believe the end of life offers a unique opportunity to assess our lives and make things right. As hard as it is, we need to protect that occasion and use it for what God intended. It is also chance for the rest of us to be God’s hand extended to the suffering.
I am currently reading Chuck Colson’s book, “The Faith”.
He believes that LIFE is the current issue between raw good and raw evil.
We are all created in God’s image and therefore must protect life. You and I are on the cutting edge of a battle for what matters most to God. (As was Wilberforce when he fought slave traders who thought some were created in God’s image and others not.) Do not let anyone tell you differently. Our work of prayer, teaching and helping is important. Many are deceived.
For Life,
Nancy Bartz
National News
1. Canada province to take polgamy law to court
By JEREMY HAINSWORTH Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press
Oct. 22, 2009, 2:23PM
British Columbia — British Columbia's Supreme Court is being asked to decide if polygamy should remain illegal in Canada, the province's attorney general announced Thursday.
Attorney General Mike de Jong said he believes polygamy is against the law and should remain so, but he said the justice system needs clarity about whether Canada's law barring multiple marriages is constitutional.
Two Canadian laws stand in contradiction: Polygamy is banned, and religious freedoms are firmly protected.
The move comes a month after a judge quashed polygamy charges against two leaders of a polygamous community in western Canada. The judge ruled the province did not have the authority to appoint a special prosecutor to consider the cases of Winston Blackmore and James Oler after previous prosecutors recommended against charges.
The government has decided to seek the British Columbia Supreme Court opinion rather than appeal that court ruling. De Jong said the case may ultimately have to be decided by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Blackmore, who is known as "the Bishop of Bountiful," was accused of having 19 wives and Oler three. He runs an independent sect of about 400 members in the town of Bountiful.
He once ran the Canadian arm of the Utah-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but was ejected in 2003 by that group's leader, Warren Jeffs.
Oler is the bishop of Bountiful's FLDS community loyal to Jeffs. Even though many of the town's residents are related or have same last name, followers of the two leaders are splintered and are not allowed to talk with each other.
The men maintain their polygamous practices are protected by Canada's protection of freedom of religion.
FLDS members practice polygamy in arranged marriages, a tradition tied to the early theology of the Mormon church. Mormons renounced polygamy in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood.
The men had petitioned the court to drop the polygamy charges, arguing that the attorney general had gone "special prosecutor shopping" until he found someone who would go ahead with charges.
Blackmore said the issue was resolved in 1992 when another special prosecutor decided not to proceed with charges. The case would have been the first test of Canada's polygamy laws under Canada's constitution.
Last year, British Columbia's former attorney general appointed a special prosecutor to look into allegations of criminal abuse at Bountiful despite earlier legal opinions that said it would be difficult to proceed with criminal charges for polygamy itself.
De Jong said he supported the earlier decision by his predecessor to take the polygamy cases against Oler and Blackmore to court.
Blackmore openly acknowledges having numerous wives and dozens of children but has said his community abhors sexual abuse of children. The charges would have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Last year, Texas authorities raided an FLDS ranch and put more than 400 children into foster care. The children were returned to their parents after the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state overstepped in removing all the children when it only had evidence of abuse or neglect involving about a half-dozen teenage girls.
The FLDS, with an estimated 10,000 members, is headquartered in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. In 1947, a small group moved across the border into Lister, British Columbia. The newcomers dubbed the pristine spot at the base of a snowy mountain range Bountiful.
Besides an estimated 1,000 Canadians living in Bountiful, the U.S. Embassy estimates about 300 Americans there who are loyal to Blackmore and 200 others that follow Jeffs, who is in an Arizona jail awaiting trial on charges related to alleged underage marriages involving girls in the sect.
In September 2007, a Utah jury convicted Jeffs of two counts of rape as an accomplice for his role in the 2001 marriage of an underage follower to her husband. He was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of five years to life.
2. Canadian Court Dismisses Graduate Student's Religious Discrimination Claim
In Maughan v. University of British Columbia, (BC Ct. App., Oct. 20, 2009), the Brisish Columbia Court of Appeal agreed with the trial court that a graduate student at UBC had not shown that tensions between her and her English professor resulted from religious discrimination. Cynthia Maughan, an Anglican student in her mid-40's, pursuing an M.A. in English, received a low grade in Dr. Wier's seminar on "The Proper: From Derrida to Delgamuukw." Her primary complaint revolved around an incident in the seminar when she argued a passage from a Derrida text comparing the Holy Eucharist to "mystical cannibalism" was a misinterpretation of the Bible. Other students strongly defended Derrida, and Maughan described those exchages as "shocking" and the passage as "intense sacrilege." The Court of Appeal, dismissing her claims for negligence and breach of British Columbia's Civil Rights Protection Act, concluded: "In our view, Ms. Maughan’s claim is not based on the evidence per se, but on her interpretation of the evidence and the inferences she drew from the evidence founded on her firm conviction that she was subjected to discriminatory treatment by the respondents on the basis of her religion." Xtra West reported on the decision yesterday.
http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2009/10/canadian-court-dismisses-graduate.html
3. Transgendered teacher, Catholic school in a legal duel
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 10/23/2009 4:00:00 AM
A complaint has been filed by a transgendered substitute teacher against a Catholic school board in Canada.
Jan Buterman was a substitute teacher for St. Albert Catholic Schools in Edmonton, Alberta, before announcing that she was going through the process to become a "he." Dave Quist, executive director of the Institute of Marriage and Family - Canada, offers insight on the incident.
"The Catholic school board looked at it and said that [the gender change] was – quote – 'not aligned with the teachings of the church and would create confusions and complexit[ies] with students and parents as a model and witness to Catholic faith values,'" he explains. "Therefore they removed her from the substitute teacher list."
Buterman has since filed a complaint before the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal for her dismissal -- and reports that in the midst of her challenge to the Catholic school board, there are other secular schools where she might apply. She argues that public employers do not have a right to make employment decisions based on tenets of faith.
Quist explains that the Catholic Church operates some public schools for the government "and receives public funds based on the number of children that they have in their classrooms -- and so they are receiving public tax dollars." In light of this, however, Quist argues that when parents sign their children up to attend a school within the Catholic school district, "they know exactly what they're going into."
The outcome of the case is uncertain because of other rulings by the Tribunal that outraged many Canadians -- meaning that members might be wary of that in approaching the Buterman complaint.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=734148
International News
1. Report on The World Congress of Families held in the Netherlands
The organizers of the World Congress of Families (WCF) chose to hold the fifth Congress in the Netherlands, because it is the heart of liberal Europe. It was in this country that many of the destructive anti-family policies of today first became socially and legally acceptable. For example, thirty years ago, the Netherlands shocked the World with its policies on physician assisted suicide, unrestricted abortions, legal non-medical use of drugs, wide open prostitution, and finally, same-sex marriage (1994). If Europe has lost its soul, one can look to the Netherlands for showing the way.
It is interesting, that in 2007, when the WCF IV was held in Warsaw, the European left mocked the Congress for holding its meeting in such a socially conservative country. However, when it was announced that the fifth Congress was to be held in the heart of liberal Europe, the European left was outraged that the Congress was daring to trespass on its territory
The Autonomous Feminist Action (AFA) organization in Amsterdam posted on its website, in July, a menacing drawing of a man and a woman with a child and a cross between them, with a dotted line going through the necks of the couple and a pair of scissors ready to cut off their heads. It warned that the Congress was a group of “fundamentalistic [sic] Christians” who “will plead for going back to Christian traditions of traditional relationship between man and woman.” The AFA described WCF as anti-feminist, anti-abortion, homophobic and opposed to divorce. It was joined in its protest by homosexual groups, who found it intolerable that the Netherlands would be the host of an organization promoting the natural family of mother, father and children.
On July 30th, the Amsterdam offices of EuroCongress were vandalized and damaged. EuroCongress is the professional conference organizer for World Congress of Families V – Amsterdam, August 10-12, at the RAI Centre.
These vandals defaced and damaged the outside of the EuroCongress building by smearing paint, and writing various obscenities and anti-Christian slogans. How very illiberal and intolerant of a supposedly, liberal, tolerant nation! The purpose of these threats was, as usual, to intimidate people, in order to keep them away from the Congress.
On the morning of the first day of the Congress, an uninspiring motley group of just ten, bedraggled picketers stood outside the Convention Centre for an hour (see photograph). They then disappeared and never showed up again. As usual, it’s the intimidation tactic that prevails: all these agitators accomplished was to expose themselves as bereft of common sense.
Many Countries Represented at WCF V
Representatives from over 61 countries attended the WCF V. Speakers included scholars and leaders with Catholic, Judaic, Islamic, Protestant and secular backgrounds. Speakers, such as the Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands, the President of the Pakistan Family Forum, the Archbishop of Utrecht, the former President of the US Southern Baptist Convention and the Executive Director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia represent a sample of the religious diversity at the Congress. In fact, many WCF speakers do not agree on specific religious practices, but they do share values and principles regarding family, marriage and children as found in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.
The knowledgeable speakers from around the World provided an exciting and varied program. They discussed parental rights, home-schooling, preserving marriage, declining birth rates, internet pornography, combating trafficking in women and children, defending the family at the United Nations and other international forums, and supporting Families in the developing World, among other timely issues confronting the family.
The next WCF (the sixth!) is to take place in May 2011. The Selection Committee for the Congress will be meeting in late November to review the applications from countries wishing to host the next Congress.
http://www.realwomenca.com/index.cfm?page=303&string=World Congress of Families
2. United Kingdom: Religious Liberty Fading Fast
London: October 22, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)
In London, England, in the 1370s, John Wycliffe suffered intensive persecution for daring to protest for biblical truth. In 1415 John Hus was burnt at the stake in Prague, Bohemia, for doing the same. On 31 October 1517 a German monk named Martin Luther risked martyrdom and worse -- the Inquisition -- when he launched his protest for biblical truth: salvation by grace through faith, not merited by works. He sought reform but got division, and the Protestant Church was born. Religious liberty and the revival of biblical theology brought many positive consequences to the societies that embraced it. As a result, 31 October has traditionally been remembered as Reformation Day. But as Protestant prosperity grew, so too did the rot of pride and arrogance. Before long, Protestant societies were not only forgetting God and the truths that gave liberty to their positive energies and made them great, but 'in pride and arrogance of heart' (Isaiah 9:9b) were rejecting God and his word as irrelevant.
British MP William Wilberforce (1759-1833), though remembered primarily as an abolitionist, was passionate about Britain's need for spiritual reformation as it was in a state of advanced decay. Not only had the nation largely forgotten God but its church had mostly returned to a works-based theology, believing that people merited salvation because they were 'good' -- not that people were good because they were saved by grace through faith. (See William Wilberforce, A Practical View of Christianity, chapter 3.)
The awakening and spiritual reform that Wilberforce launched turned the tide in the UK. But today nearly 500 years on from Luther and some 250 years on from Wilberforce, the UK is in trouble again and is desperately in need of a fresh awakening. Moreover religious liberty is fading fast.
All Nations Church in Kennington, South London, was recently ordered not to use its sound system for its sermons or music so as to avoid offending its (Muslim) neighbours. A Christian office worker from South London, Denise Haye (25), was recently sacked for expressing her disapproval of homosexuality. A Christian nurse from Exeter, Shirley Chaplin (54), was recently threatened with disciplinary action after she refused to remove the cross from her necklace that she had worn without a complaint throughout 30 years of nursing. A Deputy Registrar with Islington Borough Council, Theresa Davies (59), was demoted because she refused to preside over same-sex civil partnership ceremonies. A Christian nurse with 40 years' experience, Anand Rao (71), was sacked after he suggested to a training seminar that distressed palliative care patients could try going to church. A Christian community nurse and professional foster mother (with 80 children's-worth of experience) was recently struck off the register for failing to prevent a 16-year-old Muslim girl converting to Christianity. A Christian homelessness prevention officer with 18 years' experience, Duke Amachree (53), was sacked by Wandsworth Council for sharing his faith with a client who had lost hope. Revd Noble Samuel of Heston United Reformed Church, West London, who debates Muslims on his TV Gospel program, was hijacked in his car by three Urdu- speaking assailants who grabbed him by the hair, ripped off his cross and threatened to break his legs if he continued broadcasting. These cases (all in 2009) are just the tip of the iceberg. If the Equality Bill that is now making its way through parliament passes (as expected), then persecution will increase dramatically.
(For the above cases see http://www.christianlegalcentre.com
http://www.ccfon.org
http://www.christian.org.uk )
While Christians are being silenced, Islamisation is advancing, with Islamic fundamentalists appeased at every turn by short-sighted politicians who lack political courage and hanker after political gain. While Christians are fined, sacked and sued for expressing their faith, Anjem Choudary's Islam4UK is free to run its Islamic Roadshows all across the country (see below). Independent think-tank Civitas recently reported that Britain already has some 85 Sharia Courts operating openly, advising illegal actions and transgressing human rights with impunity. Not content with this, some 5000 supporters of Islam4UK are expected to join a 'March for Sharia' from the House of Commons to Trafalgar Square on 31 October, which coincidentally is Reformation Day. (For an example of Islam4UK's Islamic Roadshow in action, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjvVgvclDQ {Birmingham, June 2009}.)
As long as the various anti-Christian lobby groups can silence Christians and shut down debate through anti-defamation, anti- vilification and anti-discrimination laws along with threats of violence, they will be on a winning trajectory with little resistance -- that is, until violent conflict erupts. Violent 'race' clashes are already on the increase, mostly in response to protests against Islamisation. The UK is in trouble.
News source http://pakistanchristian.tv/news/2009-10-22_United_Kingdom_Religious_Liberty_Fading_Fast.cfm
3. Council scraps Christian prayer tradition as it might offend other faiths
A council has scrapped its 115-year-old tradition of saying Christian prayers before meetings after one compliant that it may offend other faiths.
Published: 10:15AM BST 22 Oct 2009
Since 1894, Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council in Somerset, has opened its monthly meetings with a short religious verse.
But the practice has now been scrapped after a letter from one constituent labelled it ''inappropriate and unacceptable in a multi-ethnic society''.
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Pagan police allowed to take Hallowe'en and summer solstice off workThe letter sparked a 45-minute debate, which ended with seven councillors voting in favour of banning prayers, while three were against and three abstained.
Reverend Mike Slade, Vicar of Winscombe and Sandford, feels it is the Christian councillors who are being ''discriminated against'' and not members of other faiths.
He said: ''I am very disappointed that the parish council has come to this decision. I feel sorry for the Christian councillors who have been discriminated against in this way.
''It seems to say that Christian prayer for guidance and wisdom in the decision making process is now not necessary when for over a century it was considered vital and central to the conducting of parish business.
''The council should know they cannot escape Christian prayers and I shall continue to pray for them in church on a regular basis despite their ban.''
Winscombe and Sandford Parish, which has a population of 4,500 on the edge of the Mendip Hills, began praying before council meetings in 1894.
But one Winscombe resident, who has not been named, wrote a letter of complaint to the council after attending a meeting in September this year.
She wrote: ''My reason for writing is my shock at being asked to stand up and participate in a prayer.
''In my opinion it was totally inappropriate and unacceptable to say Christian prayers at a council meeting. We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-religion society.''
The council held a meeting to decide the future of the prayers last Thursday and they were scrapped by a majority vote.
Councillor Chris Sampson believes ''those who have faith'' should be allowed to enjoy the Christian prayers.
He said: ''The parish council is here to do good. Those who have faith enjoy the prayer. If not a prayer then perhaps we should adopt a short silence to settle our minds.''
However, Councillor Roy Jones described the prayers as ''embarrassing'' and is pleased they have been removed.
He said: ''I am against the prayers. I find them embarrassing. As to the suggestion for a short silence, any reflection should be done at home before the meetings.''
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6405914/Council-scraps-Christian-prayer-tradition-as-it-might-offend-other-faiths.html
4. First Battle of the 2009 Christmas Culture War is here
Michigan's Macomb County Road Commission orders removal of privately maintained Nativity scene at crossroads of city
October 27, 2009
The Macomb County Road Commission has ordered the removal of a privately maintained Nativity scene set at the crossroads of the city.
The Christmas culture wars for 2009 have begun and ground zero is the Detroit suburb of Warren, which for 63 years has hosted a privately maintained Nativity scene set at the crossroads of the city.
The Nativity display had been maintained by Warren city resident John Satawa and his family for most of the municipality's history until the Macomb County Road Commission this year ordered the display removed because they say it "clearly displays a religious message" in violation of the "separation of church and state."
The Road Commission informed Satawa of its decision upon receiving a letter in December 2008 from the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which purported to act on behalf of a complainant in the city of 134,000 residents, saying the display violated the Constitution. (See letter here)
The Thomas Moore Law Center has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Stawa against the Road Commission. Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, said that militant atheists attempt to do through the courts what the Taliban by force had done to Afghanistan: remove all the symbols of the country's national heritage.
The Nativity dates from 1945, just five years after the incorporation of the Village of Warren, which then boasted 582 inhabitants.
AFA Action Alert [contact@afa.net]
Film Review
“Faith Like Potatoes”
I was blessed to see this film, set in South Africa, and based on a true story, at the 1st Annual REAL Life Film Festival in Sudbury in June. It was pure delight.
Recently I was able to pick up my own DVD copy of it in a bargain bin at a local grocery store.
If you have a chance to purchase it, or rent it, or see it somewhere, please do. Its portrayal of faith built my faith!!!!!
God bless, Diane Ikonen
Media Marvels
1. What is RealCatholicTV.com?
The World’s first Catholic television station
RealCatholicTV.com is the world's first Catholic television station on the internet, bringing you news, commentary and historical programs updated daily. In addition to this free registered content, premium programs are available for our monthly subscribers. Users of the site can email programs to their friends, embed them on their webpages or blogs, and discuss television and Catholicism in our forums. For more information and to register for free, please visit www.RealCatholicTV.com <</span>http://www.RealCatholicTV.com> .
Registration is free but for only $10 a month you can get access to hundreds of hours of programming on our Premium Service
Source: http://www.realcatholictv.net/daily/newsvort.php
Click here to register for Premium access for only $10 a month
Register for FREE at www.realcatholictv.com <</span>http://www.realcatholictv.com>
2. Environmental Working Group
Information on handwashing and antibacterial soaps is available at this site. As well, once you’re there, you will find an abundance of information to help you eliminate toxins from your life and home.
http://www.ewg.org/Healthy-Home-Tips-05?utm_source=tips5-tox-ng&utm_medium=email&utm_content=first-link&utm_campaign=kid-health
3. Movie Reviews ………check before viewing
Recently a friend told me about the terrible experience she had while supervising her grandson at the movie “Coraline”. She had expected it to be a movie suitable for children, but was unpleasantly surprised by the dark contents of it. Her report to me helped my son, who had considered bringing his children, till he heard about this, and then followed up with online research. He decided not to bring them to Coraline based on the reviews he read about. Although it was animated, it was not suitable for the ages of his children.
We are blessed nowadays to have Christian movie review sites that will let us know what a movie is like before we go.
Christian Movie Review Sites:
CT at the Movies [movies-html@lists.christianitytoday.com]
You can access Plugged In movie reviews through our own Christian Radio Station, Kfm at www.cjtk.com <</span>http://www.cjtk.com>
4. COMING TO TERMS A Prolife Semantics Guide
By Ron Galloy
Ron Galloy is the Director for Life: God's Sacred Gift in New York City.
Those who govern the culture's language govern the culture. Why? Because words shape ideas and affect the way people think. Put simply, words teach. Unfortunately, those who govern the language in America today are the mass media, and are Enemy #1 of vulnerable human life. Their semantics are why so many have come to think that killing itself is a human "right."
At least six different linguistic concoctions exist in the media's lexicon for killing: abortion "rights"; the "right" to a woman's body; the "right" to choose; women's "rights"; privacy "rights"; and reproductive "rights." At the same time, the most fundamental right of all, the right to life, is censored by the media, effectively erasing it from public discourse and thus from public thought. Pope John Paul II spoke on this grave moral evil in his encyclical The Gospel of Life: "The moral conscience, both individual and social, is today subjected, also as a result of the penetrating influence of the media, to an extremely serious and mortal danger: that of confusion between good and evil, precisely in relation to the fundamental right to life…" (#24).
The culture war is largely a war of words, and no one fights it better than the media. They know better than anyone that if you want to change the way people think, just change the words. As verbal engineering has preceded today's abortion culture, honest vocabulary is vital to restore life's protection. The following analysis explains a few of their deceptions and how they market the Culture of Death. Honest phrasing is given to restore life's dignity.
To read the rest of this insightful article, please go to
http://www.newoxfordreview.org/article.jsp?did=0206-galloy
Citizen Response
October 18, 2009
Dear Mr. Winninger,
I am writing regarding the recent attention your library has been getting regarding allowing pornography to be displayed on your public computers. As a former London resident of 13 years, I am quite disappointed that your library has acquiesced and relented to "anti-censorship" pressure and removed your porn filters.
Although your institution is meant for public use, I'm sure you realize that your role is to allow exploration of
information in a safe environment. Viewing of pornography is for self-gratification, not educational inquisition, and is not only offensive to some, and illegal for others (under 18) but also harmful to the
sustainability and fortification of marriages and families because of its addictive and psychologically- and physiologically-altering properties.
Whether or not we agree on the harmfulness of pornography, the one thing we must agree upon is that your establishment should be family-friendly so that a teen or child (or adult for that matter) is able to freely research on your entire premises, and not cordoned to a youth section. Please reconsider establishing proper, and intelligent filters that allow for true research or exploration in sexual themes while minimizing the risk of being visually assaulted.
I look forward to hearing your plans with regards to this issue.
Sincerely,
Jane
Sudbury, ON
Dear Jane
Thanks for your email regarding London Public Library and its Internet
filtering practices. I am responding on behalf of Mr. Winninger,
From LPL’s point of view, the Internet is the ideal vehicle to:
Enhance public access to global information and expressions of
creativity and thought; Expand the library’s collection of information
resources; Provide users with the opportunity for remote dialogue with
subject-matter experts and to engage with other people on an infinite
variety of topics; and Enable collaborative research and study. LPL
recognizes that in addition to the many valuable resources available on
the Internet, some resources are illegal, misleading and/or inaccurate.
Others may be considered by some people to be offensive, objectionable
and/or intimidating. LPL does not condone the accessing of illegal
materials using library computers and consequences for this behaviour
are contained in our Internet Service and Code of Conduct policies. In
provision of access to content and communication media through its
Internet Service, LPL seeks to balance its essential role of providing
access to information, ideas, and expressions of creativity and thought,
with its important role of providing welcoming, neutral, and accessible
community space.
To this end, LPL provides a combination of both filtered and unfiltered
Internet access across the system and at each location: Computers
specifically designated for use by children and/or teens, such as
Homework Centre Computers, are filtered; Computers in spaces
specifically designed for use by children and/or teens are filtered;
Computers designated for specific functions, such as the Employment
Resource Centre computers, are filtered; and the rest of the computers
are unfiltered with the exception of cases in which all other methods of
due diligence regarding the reasonable protection of children/teens
cannot be achieved.
London Public Library is working very hard to create balance between
the rights of individuals to access a wide range of information
resources with the rights of users and staff to work in a public
environment and has adjusted the balance between filtered and unfiltered
computers several times over the past decade. The Library Board reviews
its Internet Service Policy and practices on an ongoing basis and is
doing so at this time. Your input on this important matter is greatly
appreciated. I will provide your email, along with a copy of my
response, to the Library Board and the Library Administration to serve
as public feedback as the Board continues to review its policy and
practices.
Sincerely,
Susanna Hubbard Krimmer
CEO & Chief Librarian
London Public Library
susanna.krimmer@lpl.london.on.ca
Original item from LifeSite News:
London Library Allowing Pornography on Public Computers
By Patrick B. Craine
LONDON, Ontario, October 7, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com <</span>http://www.lifesitenews.com/> ) - The London Public Library (LPL) in London, Ontario, is embroiled in controversy over its internet policies, which currently allow users to access pornography on the public computers.
London city councillor Cheryl Miller is insisting that patrons should not to be subjected to offensive material at the library against their will, according to Macleans. "Canadians have a constitutional right to say, 'I don't want to see or hear that sexualized material,' " she said. "And in this library, they don't have that right."
The London library is the same that responded several years to ago to drug use on its premises by installing <</span>http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06010603.html> syringe disposal units in convenient locations. The library has also been criticized in the past by pro-life advocates for circulating books promoting homosexuality and pornography.
Earlier this year, the LPL removed the internet filters from certain computers, in adult sections of the library, after they had been threatened with a lawsuit by a group advocating freedom of expression. The filters remain on computers dedicated for teens and children.
The debate was refuelled in August, however, after a 71-year-old man was caught viewing and printing child pornography at the central branch.
Councillor David Winninger, who is also the Library Board Chairperson, explained that the filters were removed following legal advice indicating that they were unconstitutional. "We did have filters on the computers for a period of time," he told Macleans. "Then we received a letter notifying us that the filters were unconstitutional under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
According to Winninger, the filters also excluded "legitimate" information relating to "sex education or birth control."
While library officials maintain that complaints on this issue are few because pornography viewers are generally discreet, some patrons have expressed anger at being bombarded with pornographic images while trying to use the computers.
In a September 18th letter <</span>http://www.londonpubliclibrary.ca/files/u3/aboutmylibrary/board2009/September/ConsentItem8J.pdf> available on the library website, Susan Minns describes how, in August, "I found myself viewing porn at the London Central library."
"I happened to be sitting next to a bank of computers and one fellow, who was casually researching masturbating women," she writes. "I didn't have to peer over his shoulder because it was on full display to anyone who walked or sat nearby."
When she complained to a librarian that there were children around, she was handed a complaint slip and told "there was nothing they could do." The next day, library management told her, "Porn is not illegal." Pointing out that pornography is illegal before 18 years of age, she writes that "youth are permitted on the second floor where porn is not hidden," and "I had to move to get away from it."
"The library should be held just as accountable as the corner store concerning the display of porn," she argues. "The London city libraries are no longer family friendly."
"I want to visit London libraries without being subjected to degrading images of women," she continues. "Our daughters should feel safe and should not find themselves seated next to an adult male scrolling porn."
Contact Information:
David Winninger (Library Board Chair)
Email: david.winninger@lpl.london.on.ca
Susanna Hubbard Krimmer (C.E.O.)
Email: susanna.krimmer@lpl.london.on.ca
Phone: 519-661-5143
London Public Library - Central
251 Dundas St.
London, Ontario
N6A 6H9
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Ontario Library Promotes Homosexuality, Installs Syringe Disposal Units
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06010603.html
From Jane: pray that their hearts will be turned to righteousness and away from fear of man!
Words of Wisdom
1. Look
Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!"
God closes doors no man can open and
God opens doors no man can close.
2. Eat a Frog
There's an old saying that says...
"If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"
Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things-to-do list, the one you're most likely to procrastinate on; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...if you let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.
3. We Shall Be Like Jesus
1 JOHN 3:2 NKJ
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
God's plan is to change you. He will not quit until you are like Jesus Christ.
ROMANS 8:29 NKJ
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God has already made the decision. You WILL be like Jesus! (It may take awhile -- but God has plenty of time.)
Surely this doesn't mean an identical physical appearance, but perfection. Perfection morally, spiritually -- and yes, even physically and mentally.
So don't be discouraged with where you are now. God is still at work and He is no quitter.
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NKJ
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
How is God doing this? Primarily through His Word. So, stay in the Word. The more you expose yourself to the accurate Word of God, the more you will be changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
SAY THIS: God is at work to make me like Jesus!
4. Christian One Liners
Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Some people are kind, polite, and
sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Many folks want to serve God,
but only as advisors.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
It is easier to preach ten sermons
than it is to live one.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
When you get to your wit's end,
you'll find God lives there.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
People are funny; they want the front
of the bus, the middle of the road, and
the back of the church.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Quit griping about your church;
if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
If the church wants a better pastor,
it only needs to pray for the one it has.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Peace starts with a smile.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
I don't know why some people
change churches; what difference does
it make which one you stay home from?
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
A lot of church members who are singing
'Standing on the Promises'
are just sitting on the premises.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
We were called to be witnesses,
not lawyers or judges.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Be ye fishers of men. You catch
them - He'll clean them.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Coincidence is when God
chooses to remain anonymous.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Don't put a question mark
where God put a period.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Don't wait for 6 strong men
to take you to church.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God loves everyone, but probably prefers
'fruits of the spirit' over 'religious nuts!'
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
He who angers you, controls you!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Prayer:
Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
We don't change the message,
the message changes us.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
You can tell how big a person is
by what it takes to discourage him.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
5. Harley rider
A biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl
leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of
her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of
her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on
the nose with a powerful punch.
Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the
biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A
reporter has watched the whole event.
The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'
The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars.
I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'
The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?'
The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.' The journalist
leaves.
The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings
news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:
"U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH!"
That pretty much sums up the liberal news media's approach to the news these days.
6. H1N1 Virus Health Tips
In a global epidemic, it's almost impossible not to come into contact
with the H1N1 virus in spite of all the precautions you might take. But
contact with the virus is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
Short of getting the H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Vinay Goyal, renown intensivist
and thryoid specialist, has these practical suggestions on how to avoid
the effects of the virus:
1. Wash your hands frequently. Hand sanitizers cannot and should not
replace proper cleansing with soap and water.
2. Take a "Hands Off the Face" approach. Other than eating and
bathing, keep your hands away from your face. The only portals of entry
for H1N1 are the nostrils and mouth/throat.
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or a mouthwash such as
Listerine. The virus takes 2 - 3 days after initial infection in the
throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.
Simple gargling can prevent such proliferation. Do not underestimate
this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.
Much like gargling, but in reverse, blowing the nose and swabbing both
nostrils with Q-Tips dipped in warm salt water is very effective in
bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C.
Should you supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure they also
contain Zinc to help boost absorption.
6. Drink plenty of warm fluids, such as tea, coffee, etc. This flushes
proliferating viruses from the throat down into the stomach where they
cannot survive, proliferate, and do any harm.
7. Hard Sayings
Recently we were contemplating the current state of our beloved Church and the unease many modern Catholics feel toward the hard line our Church takes, and has always taken, toward various matters, whether practical or theological. This unease often develops into a failure to submit to, much less embrace, some "difficult" teaching of the Church, usually in the area of sexual morality or social justice, repentance, obedience, rejection of earthly desires, etc. Individual Catholics' unwillingness to submit to the Church's hard teachings has led to a severe weakening of the faith in our time. And this weakening of the faith has had a detrimental impact on the world at large. As Fr. John Corapi explained in our interview in the July-August issue, Jesus gave us the Church to "hold the world in being," and when the Church is faithful, this is what she has done. But when the faith of her individual members is weakened, the Church no longer has the corporate strength to hold the world up, and the world "sinks into Hell under the weight of its own iniquity," as Fr. Corapi put it. We've each got to place some of the blame for the catastrophic state of the world on ourselves: "Just imagine if we had sixty or seventy million fervent, vibrant Catholics in this country. It would be a vastly different place," Fr. Corapi said, "a better place."
Yes, we Catholics are "in the world but not of the world." This does not mean, however, that we can go merrily about our business content in our knowledge of the Lord while the rest of the world goes to Hell in a hand basket. Indifference is not a Christian virtue; indifference to the world is not a Christian calling. No, as possessors of the knowledge of the saving grace of Christ Jesus, we have a tremendous responsibility to our fellow man -- even, and especially, to the wayward among us. As members of the Church Christ founded on earth, each of us is a recipient of His Great Commission to spread the Gospel and make disciples of all nations, preaching baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to guide souls to their true home in Holy Mother Church.
Pondering all this led us to reflect on the "Bread of Life discourse" in John 6, in which Jesus declared Himself the living bread come down from Heaven and extolled us to eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to obtain eternal life. Many of the Jews present murmured among themselves, "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" (Jn. 6:60). From that moment on, many of Jesus' disciples fell away and no longer walked with Him. To this day, Christ's real presence in the Eucharist is the greatest stumbling block to authentic faith, among Catholics as well as non-Catholics.
For those graced with the gift of faith, the doctrine of the real presence is a source of joy rather than uncertainty or hostility. Yet the doubters and scoffers still can't bear to hear it. And so we began to wonder whether those of us graced with faith can bear the responsibility of proclaiming this Good News to the world. Sure, we bear it in our hearts, but, we wondered, are we willing to bear it on our bodies? Who among us has the courage to wear the word of God in a public place?
Thus was born the concept behind the "Hard Sayings" line of T-shirts we have made available at the NOR Gear Shoppe.
Combing the New Testament, we strove to identify the single lines that, when seen on a T-shirt, could be easily read and understood by, say, passersby on the sidewalk, other passengers on the bus, fellow shoppers at the supermarket, gawkers at the gym, parents at the park, etc. We looked for the lines that would be the most jarring to modern minds, lines that aren't part of our English lexicon -- at least not yet.
It was a struggle because there are so many challenging passages in Scripture, but we were able to whittle the list down to a manageable size, and then select the final cut.
The first hard saying is the obvious one, John 6:53: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." Though the passage it is taken from is rich and extensive, we wanted the single line that best encapsulated the message of the passage. We think this is the one. And we've made it available on a T-shirt.
We selected six additional sayings of our Lord, as well as six sayings of St. Paul to fill out the "Hard Sayings" line. Among them are: "He that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in Heaven" (Matthew 10:33); "Because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth" (Apocalypse 3:16); "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16); and "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). On the back of each T-shirt is the NOR "Logo Uno."
Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the Bread of Life discourse, the Gospel reading for August 23: "Even today, many are 'shocked' by the paradox of the Christian faith. Jesus' teaching seems too 'hard,' too difficult to accept and put into practice. As a result there are those who reject and abandon Christ; those who attempt to 'adapt' his teachings to the fashions of the times, distorting its meaning and value…. Following Jesus fills hearts with joy and the full meaning of existence, but it also brings difficulties and sacrifices because very often it means going against the trend."
http://www.newoxfordreview.org/article.jsp?did=1009-editorial
Readers’ Comments
1. Nancy Bartz responds to message on mercy killing
Dear Prayer Partners,
Last Monday night was our AGM dinner meeting and we had Alex Schadenburg from Euthanasia Prevention Coalition speak to us. As much as I like to think of myself as being up-to-date with what is happening in all the areas of "life", Alex managed to shock me with stories of how badly the euthanasia folks want to kill. Stories of who is really behind the "death push", new euphemisms that they use to confuse the public (such as "Aid in Dying") and out-and-out lies that they tell (such as, "euthanasia is the same as aid in dying"). We must be sharp and discerning--keeping to our principles that life is sacred therefore, we care, we do not kill.
Another falsehood spread by the pro-death or euthanasia side is that pro-life folks just want to hook dying people up to machines and delay death with extreme, useless treatments. This is not true. We do not want to prolong life with excessive treatments, we only want to offer comfort and care for those who are dying. We do not see water or food as "medicine", therefore we do not dehydrate or starve people.
Alex also reminded us that euthanasia is supposed to be meant for those who are dying but Terri Schivo was not dying--she was killed (via dehydration and starvation). Tracy Latimer was not dying, she was killed by her father (via poisonous gas).Yet, these are cases that the people who are pushing for legalizing euthanasia point to to garner sympathy for their cause. We need to keep these facts in our mind and tell the truth when our friends and neighbours wrongly use them.
During the meeting we were also reminded of our speaker's message from last year about how all of us are "warrior souls". Standing up for life during conversations with our neighbours and friends over the backyard fence or over the dinner table is what warrior souls do. Just stand up for life when the opportunity arises. This is what it's all about. Having the information, praying for an opportunity to use it then stepping up to the plate.
Alex Schadenburg also encouraged everyone of us to take time to visit the elderly. Loneliness alone can often be worse than pain and cause the elderly to lose their desire to live.
For Life,
Nancy Bartz
The Life Centre, Goderich ON
lifecentre01@gmail.com
Fundraising Request
The Institute of Marriage and Family Canada--Growing in Influence
Supporting the IMFC has an impact--on how decision makers view Canada and how parents view policy
By Dave Quist, Executive Director, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
The challenges that many parts of the world are facing are varied. For the past year, the global markets have been on a downturn and deeply impacted many people financially. This past week we have witnessed the news footage of earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides, each killing or affecting hundreds, or even thousands of people. Each of these calamities, and others, are very real challenges that will be engraved in the memories of many, many people.
We are also facing challenges of a different sort here in Canada. Many of us are concerned about the erosion of the family in Canada today. The outcomes are felt over the next generation.
Like you, I want to live in a country where marriage and family are valued and supported. I want to see my children surrounded by communities founded on thriving families. I want to help my nation’s leaders make decisions that will affirm the family, not weaken it.
It is for this reason that the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) began its work in our nation’s capital. Our aim is to conduct and compile research related to marriage and family and make it available to Canada’s decision makers.
Simply put, children have the best outcomes when they grow up with a mom and dad who are in a healthy marriage relationship. Likewise, societies thrive when families stay together.
That’s why I am excited to write to you today and ask for your continued support. One of our faithful supporters has offered to match the first $40,000 we receive in donations from now until October 31.
This means that any contribution you make to the IMFC today will be doubled. And as a result, our research, writing, briefings and conferences will keep evidence supporting the value of family at the forefront of the minds of Canadian decision makers.
The IMFC has had many opportunities to share its findings in the most significant arenas. We recently published groundbreaking research showing that family breakdown is not only emotionally damaging to children, but costly to taxpayers as well. In fact, our research shows that the cost of family breakdown is more than $7 billion a year on government programs alone! Our report, Private choices, public costs – How failing families cost us all is available on line here.
And at a time of economic downturn, many people, including the mainstream media and Canada’s decision makers are beginning to realize they can no longer afford to ignore the issues threatening families. From capturing headlines in newspapers such as the National Post to contributing op-eds, joining in to TV interviews and participating in talk radio shows, our findings are actively being sought out.
In March, we hosted a conference with more than 100 in attendance including members of Parliament, key government representatives and community leaders. This gathering gave us an opportunity to present the importance of fostering healthy families as the cornerstone of public policy. Our keynote speaker, the Right Honourable Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, even had the opportunity to share these insights in a private one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Full details of last year’s conference may be found here.
Our endeavours at the IMFC are bearing fruit: decision makers are listening to the research; mainstream media are pursuing our findings; and government officials are turning to us for up-to-date research on marriage and family. Your support has made all of this possible.
As I think about the future of the family in Canada, I am filled with optimism and hope. Through the IMFC’s research, the need for strong research is increasingly being represented in the national discussion about marriage and family.
At this time I would like to ask if you will be a part of the work that the IMFC has undertaken in Ottawa. By supporting the IMFC, we can impact Canada for the better. At this time your donation will also be matched – dollar for dollar – but only if we receive your gift by October 31, 2009. Thank you for partnering with us and helping to stand for strong families in Canada.
Your contribution made be made through our secure on-line website , you may print and mail or fax your donor form to us .
Thank you for taking the time to support the IMFC. If you have other comments, please forward your comments.
Yours truly,
Dave Quist
Executive Director
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
You can fax the form to: 613-565-3803
Or mail the form to:
Institute of Marriage and Family
130 Albert St. Suite 2001
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5G4
Get a donor form online: http://www.imfcanada.org/default.aspx?cat=11
Editor’s note: When I went to the website, I clicked on “donate online” and it was a simple process. God bless Canada and the world!
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